


Sapphic Beauty

by KilldeerCheer



Category: Disney - All Media Types, Disney Princesses, Sleeping Beauty (1959), Sleeping Beauty - All Media Types
Genre: Drama, Everyone's character traits are expanded upon and tweaked slightly, F/F, Fantasy, Part of my effort to bring some LGBTQ+ fun to the Disney canon, Romance, There are slight revisions to real world history in order to make this story work, This is a highly-modified adaptation of the 1959 'Sleeping Beauty'
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:47:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25149454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KilldeerCheer/pseuds/KilldeerCheer
Summary: One woman, born of the sun, is raised in secrecy deep in the woods by beings of light. Another woman, born of the moon, is raised on a foreboding mountain by a being of darkness. Unexpectedly, their paths cross and the two grow fond of each other, despite the hands of fate resting on their shoulders. Can true love really conquer all?A re-imagining of the 1959 Disney film
Relationships: Aurora/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 6





	1. On that joyful day...

**_Once upon a time…_ **

**_All of Medieval Europe was going through a great change._ **

**_Charles IV_** _, then_ ** _the_** **_King of France_** _, had accumulated a mixed reputation with his subjects. Torn between helping his kingdom and creating trouble with_ ** _the English_** _, he was seen by some as a friend to the people and by others as an irresponsible instigator. Of course, it was not Charles’ fault that England and France were on the brink of war as the two had butted heads for many centuries prior. England, for example, had taken several former French lands to the west, and there was great distress among those who saw their homes taken away. The situation quickly worsened as_ ** _there was talk of war_** _._

**_Charles IV died in 1328_ ** _ , and it was realized that he had  _ **_left no immediate heirs_ ** _. Given the complex history of two regions, the closest available family member was Charles’  _ **_English nephew Edward III_ ** _. To have an Englishman rule France would be asking for another strain on an already troubling relationship, it was thought amongst the nobility. And so it was decided that  _ **_Philip VI_ ** _ , _ **_a paternal cousin_ ** _ , would  _ **_assume the throne_ ** _. _

_ But that did not go as planned. _

_Many of the_ ** _dukes of France_** _saw_ ** _major flaws_** **_with this decision_** _. Since Edward III was effectively snubbed from his rightful claim to power, what was to stop England from retaliating and sending their armies to capture the French kingdom? Given their lifetime of training - fighting wars with the Danes, the Normans, the Welsh - they would surely prove disastrous to France._ ** _There appeared no hope for France_** _, and it was rashly decided that saving one’s own skin was safer than banding together._

_ Thus  _ **_did the great majority of the dukes secede from the Kingdom of France_ ** _ , declaring themselves  _ **_kings_ ** _ and thus  _ **_splitting up the mainland into a series of kingdoms_ ** _. Philip VI was left with a much smaller kingdom and a great loss of support. It did not even matter that, despite his selection for the throne, Philip remained on good terms with Edward for the time being. But it did not matter in the end. _

_ The years rolled on. _

_ It was now  _ **_1354_ ** _. _

_Tensions between the English and the former French kingdoms continued to wax and wane, as Philip and Edward’s relationship worsened. This eventually_ ** _broke out into all our war_** _as_ ** _Edward III demanded his claim as the King of France_** _._ ** _Philip VI_** _, essentially left without his grand army,_ ** _faced the English threat with little support from the former dukedoms_** _. And now there were new threats on the horizon. There was much talk about a_ ** _growing power_** _in Anatolia that might pose a threat to all of Europe._ ** _The_** **_Ottoman Turks_** _had managed to take almost the entire peninsula, and by now had they made their_ ** _first victory on European soil_** _with_ ** _the capture of Gallipoli_** _. Even with the gradual decline of the ‘Mongol threat’, here was yet another potential foreign enemy to pay attention to._

_ The Black Death’s grip on Europe was gradually fading. The journey of Marco Polo was now history and the splendors of the Far East were widely recognized across the subcontinent. Books, clocks, and firearms were valued items in Europe. The Great Schism was on the horizon. The seeds of the Italian Renaissance were being planted.  _

**_The Medieval World was in the process of ending_ ** _.  _

**_And so our story begins amidst this global metamorphosis._ **

…

Heavy rain poured along the stone brickwork of the great bridge that led to the great castle atop the highest point of the Forbidden Mountain. The sky was already dark and foreboding without the black storm clouds; only flashes of lightning and a constant luminescent fog gave one a sense of direction. Thick, pointed boots clanked along the stones as a tall woman, draped in a black robe, paced across the bridge. She had a baby cradled in her arms, doing everything in her power to protect it from the torrential rain. 

“There, there, we’ll be home soon,” the woman cooed, pulling some cloth over the child’s shivering face as she continued her stride.

One of the guards to the castle spotted the woman and hurried over. 

“Mistress!” called the guard, a rather ugly, gremlin-like creature. “This is unexpected! Usually you teleport inside the castle. What are you doing outside in the rain?”

“Nevermind me! Fetch some of the other goons to prepare some warm milk. And bring me some fresh cloth and towels. NOW!” The woman ordered, her voice booming even in the air.

“Yes, Mistress! Right away!” And off the guard went, moving as fast as his little shoes could carry him.

This woman was the dark fae Maleficent, self-proclaimed Mistress of All Evil. She was never one to suffer fools gladly and ruled with an iron fist. She was never disrespected, never disobeyed, and certainly never challenged. As far as Maleficent was concerned, the Forbidden Mountain was her entire world to do with however she pleased. And yet there was a deep humbling persona to this dark fairy. Maleficent only had so much magic power: for she could not stop nature’s cycles nor fully control human affairs. While she was always able to move a pawn here and there, world history did not change for her. Whatever turmoils she bestowed on unsuspecting peoples, societies seemed to mostly work on their own terms. That’s why she preferred to live in the Forbidden Mountain, where everything was hers to play with.

Moving quickly past the spade-shaped gate and deep into her throne room, Maleficent watched as several goons rushed to her aid, one holding up a pail of warm milk, the other some dirty rags. 

“Excellent. Bring them here.” Maleficent demanded, conjuring up a small stone table. The goons laid out the towels and watched as their leader gently rested an infant child upon the now-cushioned surface. Big, beady eyes all stared at the squirming child, which began to wail as Maleficent unwrapped its wet bundle. 

“Wow!” spoke one of the goons, a portly, pig-like beast. “That’s uh… um… that’s a baby.”

“Of course it’s a baby you fools! The milk? Come on!” Maleficent, waggling a finger, called as the pail-holding goon set it down on the table. Pulling out a wooden spoon from thin air, she took a sample. Gently, she softly petted the child’s head with her hand, attempting to sooth its cries.

“There there… drink up, my dear. Cease this crying.” 

Never had her goons ever heard Maleficent speak with such gentleness, not even to her pet raven, Diablo, who soon flew into the throne room and perched nearby. The lanky bird was just as surprised as the henchmen. 

In time, the baby stopped wailing and whined happily. It gladly took sips from the spoon, downing the warm drink with pleasure. 

“Mistress… why do you have a baby?” One of the goons asked innocently, a crocodile-like creature. Another, looking like a bat, hopped up and down, “are you gonna perform another transfiguration spell?! Huh? Are ya?”

Maleficent scowled at the goons. “She’s not a victim, are you mad?!” 

Remembering to keep the child calm, she settled down and took a deep sigh. “I found her. She was all alone along the coastline. She was just… left there in the sand. I found no sign of her parents or guardians.”

Looking down upon the child, Maleficent took in her features yet again. Copper-colored skin, black hair, teal-colored eyes. They had to be the friendliest eyes the dark fae had ever seen in so many years, so full of love. The infant looked upon Maleficent and smiled, raising its arms up as if wanting a hug. Tenderly, she looked back and caressed the baby’s cheek.

“Since there does not appear to be anyone claiming her… she will stay with us here, in the Forbidden Mountain,” Maleficent decreed, “as my new daughter.”

All the goons murmured amongst themselves before turning up to look at their ruler. The pig-ish goon spoke first: “Of course, Mistress. We never raised a baby before but… we can learn.” Another goon, a vulture-esque monster, shook his head and agreed, “yeah! We’ve never let you down before, right?”

“A myriad of times, actually.” Maleficent replied bluntly, “but yes… I am entrusting you to help me care for the child. Treat her like royalty. Give in to her demands. Protect her at all costs. Be a… friend, if need be. This is my biggest command yet, do you understand?”

“Yes!” “Yes Mistress!” “Absolutely!” “Loud and clear!” And so on did the goons accept Maleficent’s order. Things would definitely be much more interesting with a baby around. 

“Mistress,” piped up one small goon with a trunk like an elephant, “what’s the baby’s name?”

Maleficent pondered for a brief moment. She thought back, back to that rough shoreline after dusk had ended. There was a full moon out, almost illuminating the sand as the dark fairy trudged through debris from what looked like a ship. Large chunks of wood, piles of rope, metal tools, and other materials littered the area. Save for the sound of the pounding waves, a piercing cry was all Maleficent could hear. Her ears buzzing, she eventually located the source of the noise. Bending down to get a closer look, she came face-to-face with a pair of bright teal eyes, reflecting the image of the moon. All the fear in that child’s face vanished quickly, replaced by curiosity and comfort. Everyone who saw Maleficent feared her just from her very presence, but not this lost child. That she remembered very vividly.

“I have decided,” Maleficent replied, slowly at first, “to call her… Diana.”

Diablo flew over to the stone table, craning his head to get a better look at the infant. Little Diana gave the raven all her attention, stretching out her hand, which he responded to by nuzzling with his beak. Tiny giggles emanated from the smiling child.

“Mistress! I come with news!” Exclaimed a goon sporting goat horns, who rushed into the room gasping for breath.

“Well? Out with it!” Maleficent called back, annoyed as losing the peace.

“The Queen of Perrault has just given birth to their first child!”

A wide-beamed smile spread across Maleficent’s face. Delicately placing her hands together, she bowed her head and chuckled. “Excellent.” 

Turning back, Maleficent changed Diana into a new bundle fashioned out of the requested cloth materials, all the while humming to a tune. Once finished, she lifted a now sleeping Diana and cradled her into her arms, and then turned to all of her goons. “That is all for now. Off with you!”

Bowing their heads, all the goons scurried to their posts. The small, elephant-trunked goon peeked his head back into the throne room one last time: “congratulations on your new baby, Mistress.” And away he went.

“Hmm”, Maleficent laughed quietly before turning to Diablo and offering her shoulder for him to perch on. “Yes. It appears I’ve saved two children tonight.” 

She walked calmly towards her personal tower, ready for a good night’s sleep. She looked out her window, just barely able to see the outskirts of the Perrault Kingdom. Maleficent’s eyes pierced through the darkness as she protectively held Diana.

“Let’s just hope the Queen keeps her end of the bargain.” Maleficent spoke to herself, “If she knows what’s good for her and her people.”

…

The Kingdom of Perrault lay along the Rhône River; a lovely kingdom clothed in green and full of happy people. This was because the rulers of this land, King Stefan and Queen Leah, were benevolent, rational, and resourceful leaders. Not content to simply order the lower ranking members of their society around, Stefan and Leah saw to it that everyone was cared for, only asking for honest input in return. When the Black Death threatened to ravage the countryside, the King and Queen ordered strict quarantines for the communities, dug canals to reroute dirty water, and culled as many rats as possible (deaths were dramatically reduced). In a direct act to overturn an old decree from a former King of France, Philip IV, to expel the Jewish people from the kingdom in 1306, King Stefan secretly saw to it to provide sanctuary and aid to the abused families. Queen Leah ensured the continued survival of several universities and libraries in the hopes that the people would benefit from good education. 

Thus they had won the hearts of their entire kingdom, and yet it was perhaps they who were the least happiest of all. For many years, King Stefan and Queen Leah had long desired to have a child. They simply wanted to experience the joy of raising a baby into a healthy, happy being. Queen Leah, unfortunately, was sterile, for she had been stricken with a birth defect that had caused damage to her uterus. No matter how many times they tried, she could not bear a child.

But then, their luck changed dramatically. 

During the late spring of 1353, just on a whim, Queen Leah asked King Stefan for one more attempt at conception. The following day, the telltale symptoms were present: Queen Leah was with child! It seemed a miracle!

It is now, the winter of 1354, that through a surprisingly quick delivery, a daughter was born. 

Leah held the newborn baby in her arms, who seemed to almost glow. Stefan looked upon her warmly as he kissed his wife and nuzzled her cheek with his. 

“She’s so beautiful.” King Stefan whispered.

“She is.” Queen Leah smiled. “She has your chin.”

“Hehe, so she does.” Stefan replied giggling, “and your nose.”

“Do you want to hold her?” Leah asked, looking up at her husband.

“I’d be honored to… our daughter. Our very own child,” Stefan beamed, as Leah gently brought her into his arms. 

Stefan watched with an overjoyed expression. Tears welled up in his eyes. “It’s been so long since I’ve felt this happy.”

“As have I,” Leah responded, “I’ve never felt more blessed.”

The little child’s eyes gazed happily at her father, a small smile forming on her face.

“ _ Aurora had chased from heaven the dewy darkness, and was carrying the sun's torch far and wide over the earth. _ ” Stefan recited, holding up her newborn child as the rising sun’s rays filled the room.

It was then that King Stefan and Queen Leah named their daughter, Aurora. 

…

A chorus of trumpets blared, calling all in the Kingdom of Perrault towards the mighty castle atop the highest hill in the land. Hundreds of adoring crowds flooded the streets, dressed in their very best attire and adding their own tunes to the merry symphony. 

A new holiday had been declared in honor of the infant princess’ christening, and everyone in the kingdom was invited to King Stefan’s castle so that they could pay homage to her. Once the news broke out that Queen Leah had finally given birth to a child, all of the subjects of both upper and lower class were euphoric. They took comfort in knowing that a proper heir to the royal family had now been established, and given their track record would grow to be a very kind and honest leader. 

The morning was almost over as the castle walls were crowded with soldiers, knights, maidens, jestors, and more, their family crests and celebratory flags rustling in the open-air courtyard. Deep in the throne room sat King Stefan and Queen Leah, warmly receiving their visitors who showered baby Aurora with praise and gifts. Her cradle was set beside her mother’s throne, in perfect view of everyone. 

It was then that four trumpets sounded and the royal announcer called out to the bustling crowd: “Their royal highnesses: King Hubert and Prince Phillip of the Kingdom of Guichon!”

The people erupted with cheer as a stout man with a greying goatee and mutton chops approached the King and Queen, draping a warm arm around his young son. The boy, Phillip, presented his gift and gave a small, respectful bow, which the royals returned with a kind nod of their heads.

“Stefan, my friend! Congratulations! Get over here, you!” Hubert laughed, spreading his arms out.

“Oh, Hubert! You old fool!” Stefan laughed, rushing from his throne to wrap Hubert in a great hug.

“Ha ha! Only 32 and finally having a child? Not too bad!” Hubert said, ending the hug.

“You only say that because you had your boy at 27!” Stefan responded, patting Hubert’s shoulder.

King Stefan and King Hubert were only toddlers when the Kingdom of France split apart. While they never understood the political situation at the time, they grew up together as best friends under the eyes of royalty, as their dukedoms were close allies. Though they were now separated, the Kingdoms of Perrault and Guichon retained their alliance and often aided each other during times of both crisis and peace. As they aged and gained the knowledge of leadership, it had been a great dream of these rulers to unite their kingdoms as they had originally been, for they knew in their hearts that unity was more important than individualism. 

Now that the Princess Aurora was born, that dream came very close to reality. Since King Hubert had already been gifted Phillip by his now-deceased wife, the decision was made to have the children betrothed. Only after their eventual marriage would the two kingdoms be united. And perhaps there could be a chance to establish peace with the English.

Queen Leah walked over to the young Prince Phillip, patting him on the head, and flashing him with an affectionate grin.

“Hello there. My how you’ve grown into a handsome young man! Would you like to see your future bride?” Leah asked.

Phillip nodded his head, giving a respectful “yes, your majesty” before being led to Aurora’s decorated cradle. He placed the present on the growing pile and peered inside the cradle. He couldn’t help but raise his eyebrow and pout. 

“I don’t understand all that mushy stuff… do you?” Phillip whispered, earning a small giggle from the infant princess.

Just then, a twinkle of light appeared in the corner of Prince Phillip’s eye. He turned and watched with great surprise as a beacon of light descended from the roof of the throne room.

The rest of the crowd basked in the radiance of the beam as the same four trumpets blared yet again, with which the royal announcer added: “The most honored and exalted excellencies: Mistress Flora, Mistress Fauna, and Mistress Merryweather, light fae from the Mystic Realm and honorary members of King Stefan’s royal family!”

Sure enough, three petite and colorful fairies floated down onto the throne room floor. The crowd “ooed and aahed” and cheered with glee for the three fairies. These women had done so many wonderful things for the people of the Kingdom of Perrault that they earned the nickname ‘good fairies’. This was a title which they preferred not to subscribe to, but were honored anyway.

The daintily floated towards the King and Queen, paying their respects and bowing gracefully. “Your majesties!” they greeted. 

“My dears,” King Stefan replied, face full of joy, “I am so happy that you were able to come. You don’t know how much this means to us.”

“But of course, your highness!” Flora responded.

“We were invited after all!” Fauna added.

“Yeah! We wouldn’t miss this for the world!” Merryweather agreed.

As the three fairies floated over to admire the princess, King Stefan turned to Queen Leah. “If they’re here, then that means everyone has arrived safely. I think we can declare this first holiday a great success.”

“Perhaps so,” Queen Leah replied, face suddenly full of worry. “But do you think… I mean… we really should have-”

“Now now… I don’t want to hear it, Leah. You know I value the safety of our people more than anything. I’m sure you understand,” King Stefan cut in with an authoritative voice.

“Yes, dear,” Leah spoke in defeat.

Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather all cooed at the infant, giggling and gushing at the sight of the adorable little baby. 

“If we may,” Flora spoke up, turning towards Stefan and Leah, “we would like to bestow our gifts upon the child. We only have enough magic power for one gift each.”

“Of course, we’re most thankful to you all,” the King returned, humbled. 

Flora began first, her sisters backing up to give her space. Flora, as her name suggested, specialized in plant-based magic. She was able to make beautiful bouquets of colorful flowers, simply by snapping her fingers. Forests came alive with activity whenever she desired. Her biggest aid to the people in the kingdom were reviving damaged crops and providing tips on how to ensure proper growth. 

“Precious Aurora, daughter of King Stefan and Queen Leah, my gift to thee is the essence of beauty. You will walk with springtime wherever you go.” And with a flick of her wand, hundreds of flower petals descended into the cradle.

Satisfied with her work, Flora fluttered away and gave Fauna her turn. Again, names didn’t lie, as Fauna specialized in animal-based magic. No matter the species, be they birds, beasts, or fishes, animals flocked to her side at her desire. She could turn the most barren of fields into a land buzzing with activity. Fauna’s biggest aid to the Perrault Kingdom was tending to sick and injured livestock and teaching the people how to best care for their animals.

“Sweet Aurora, daughter of King Stefan and Queen Leah, my gift to thee is the talent of song. Melody shall follow you your whole life long.” And with a flick of her wand, a rain of butterflies gently landed into the cradle.

Now it was Merryweather’s turn. She specialized in weather-based magic, and had the ability to bring rain or snow to anywhere she wished. She could change the temperature of a given region, warm and sunny, wet and humid, cold and windy, if the situation required it. Merryweather’s biggest aid to Stefan and Leah’s kingdom was keeping the winters from getting too chilly: she had deduced that the climate in the northern hemisphere was slowly getting cooler and making life difficult for the people’s livelihoods. 

“Dearest Aurora, daughter of King Stefan and Queen Leah, my gift to thee is-”

Before Merryweather could continue, all the throne room became awash with noise. The wind howled, thunder boomed, and the brightness of the interior slowly descended into darkness. The citizens of the kingdom drew together in fear, and a few people cried out in alarm. King Stefan and Queen Leah rushed over to one side of the cradle, while Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather flew to the other. King Hubert grabbed onto Phillip and held him close.

A faint, glowing orb sunk into the room, pulsating with otherworldly magic. Upon landing, it erupted into the visage of Maleficent, all dressed in black and purple. She had a tranquil tone to her facial features, hiding her seething frustration and disappointment. Maleficent quietly approached the royalty, the tapping of her staff echoing in the room.

“Ma- ma- Maleficent. Why… this is a… surprise.” Flora uttered, stammering from her obvious fear. She knew this woman’s dark magic for sure.

“Yes! Not that we aren’t thrilled to see you.” Fauna added in an attempt to be polite. 

“I know I’m not! What makes you think you can show up and make a mess of things? Huh?” Merryweather snapped, scowling at the dark fairy. Flora and Fauna turned and held pointed fingers to their mouths, shushing her.

Maleficent simply chuckled. “Why, King Stefan and Queen Leah invited everyone in the kingdom, did they not? Though I technically am not a citizen of the Perrault Kingdom, I do reside within its borders. You three, on the other hand, take residence throughout the continent, so technically I have more of a right to be here than you.” 

Flora had to hold Merryweather back to keep her from starting a fight.

“Queen Leah,” Maleficent spoke up, giving her full attention to the woman, “I did not receive my invitation. You gave me your word that I could take my place among the honored guests.”

King Stefan’s head whipped towards his wife, his face plastered with shock. “Leah… I don’t understand…”

“I…” Leah choked, “I did, yes.”

“Then what is the meaning of this? You were able to have a child: this is a glorious day! I so wanted to share my congratulations with you all.” Maleficent continued, speaking with what appeared to be genuine shock. “Is this how you treat those who help you?”

Leah by now had grown very red in the face as a waterfall of tears spilled from her eyes. “Please…” she begged, “I did everything I could. Please, understand!”

“Sweetheart what is she talking about?” Stefan asked, placing his hand gently on her heaving shoulder.

“Listen well, all of you!” Maleficent suddenly boomed, her staff striking the floor and generating a hush over the room. “A grand breach of trust has been committed. I cannot in good faith stand by and let my generosity be insulted in this way. So, to ensure that proper justice is served… I too would like to give a gift to the Princess Aurora.”

Leah collapsed into Stefan’s arms, weeping greatly. Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather held firm, guarding the cradle with their life.

Maleficent’s staff began to glow and radiate green light. She began to recite: “Infant Aurora, daughter of King Stefan and Queen Leah, my gift to thee is a curse upon your life. The flowering enchantments bestowed upon you by the light fae will indeed unfold, and you will live a splendid childhood of beauty and song which will captivate your entire people. But… your true fate will not escape you. Before the sun sets upon your 18th birthday, you shall prick your finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel… and face sudden death.”

King Stefan faced Maleficent, fists clenched and teeth bared. Queen Leah ran over and cradled baby Aurora in her arms, sobbing heavily. “What have I done?!” she cried.

“Guards! Seize that wretched thing!” Stefan roared.

Several armored soldiers wielding mighty spears circled Maleficent, who simply smirked as she turned to the Queen. Leah looked upon her with horror.

“You humans make things so difficult. Serves me right for being nice.” Maleficent quipped.

“Mistress Maleficent, you are under arrest by order of the king!” Shouted a guard.

The dark fae simply laughed out loud, “fools, all of you!” And with that, she disappeared in a puff of green smoke. The darkness subsited and the room returned to the condition it had previously been in. 

All eyes turned to the King, the Queen, and the fairies, who remained in shock.

“Oh dear… this is horrible!” Fauna moaned.

Leah, still holding on to her child, finally turned to Stefan who looked upon her, flabbergasted. “Is there something you’re not telling me? Maleficent seemed very keen on talking to you.”

“If I told you… no, I can’t. Not now. You would never forgive me.” Queen Leah whimpered, gently clinging to her baby.

“Sweetheart, please. When have I ever-” Stefan began, before Leah rounded on him.

“ALL I ASKED WAS THAT MALEFICENT COULD COME. AND NOW OUR BABY IS GOING TO DIE.” Leah screamed, causing Stefan to step back slightly. His wife had never yelled at him like that, and he slumped his shoulders in sadness.

“Perhaps… perhaps not, your majesties.” Flora chimed in, raising a hand and hoping to change the subject. Whatever the Queen did with Maleficent, it wasn’t her business to know unless asked.

“What do you mean?” Stefan asked, his curiosity piqued.

“I still have my gift to give… it won’t be perfect, but it might help.” Merryweather spoke, her hands clasped in front of her, nervous.

“You mean… you cannot undo this curse outright?” Stefan replied, his hope vanishing somewhat.

“No, your majesty. As you may be aware, the intricacies of fae magic are vast, and this type of dark magic is much too powerful to combat completely. I can, however, slightly alter it and save Princess Aurora’s life,” Merryweather explained.

“Well then,” Stefan nodded, “if you can help us, we are forever in your debt.”

Timidly, Merryweather approached Queen Leah, offering a small bow of understanding. Waving her wand, small, colorful foggy clouds danced around the infant princess.

“Dearest Aurora, daughter of King Stefan and Queen Leah, my gift to thee is a ray of hope. If fate indeed finds you at the losing end of a spinning wheel, you will not die. Instead, ageless sleep will overcome you, and only the kiss of true love will break the curse. For true love conquers all.”

…

Great red and orange flames erupted from the courtyard as an enormous pile of spinning wheels was burned. While King Stefan was confident that Merryweather’s magic was enough, King Hubert made the suggestion to remove any and all spinning wheels and destroy them as an additional measure. Any metal spindles were collected and buried far below the castle. 

“But Hubert,” Stefan worriedly complained, “what will we do about clothing our people?”

“Well, that’s what trade is for, isn’t it?” Hubert answered, almost chuckling, “maybe the Holy Roman Emperor can help us?”

“Now Hubert, be reasonable.”

Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather watched the bonfire with shattered spirits from a high parapet. This panicked burning of spindling wheels would do nothing to stop Maleficent’s curse, and even though the severity had been greatly reduced it would still be a travesty if Aurora succumbed to the curse. That Maleficent got involved at all with the infant princess was enough to devastate the three fairies. Their greatest fear had been realized.

“I wish there was more we could do,” Merryweather sighed. She kicked her legs with frustration, “that wicked old beast! What I wouldn’t give to pop her right in the nose!”

“Now Merryweather, what good would that do?” Fauna scolded, crossing her arms.

“Well, for starters it would cheer me right up.” Merryweather said. 

“Perhaps we could talk to Maleficent?” Fauna suggested quietly, “I mean… I know she has… hard feelings towards us, but we come from the same realm, don’t we? She must understand-”

“You stop that nonsense!” Merryweather butted in, waggling a finger, “you know good and well that there’s no sense in talking to Maleficent about anything! The moment you give her an audience, you unleash a wrath of who knows what! You might as well try to reason with the plague.”

“I was only trying to help,” Fauna frowned, “and, well, the Queen did talk to her, apparently.”

“Whatever happened between those two, I bet it was all Maleficent’s doing. She must have put a spell on the Queen! That’s it! Her majesty is far too smart to trust Maleficent, so it must be a trick.” Merryweather theorized, tapping her foot.

Flora pondered to herself during Flora and Merryweather’s argument. Of all the issues they faced in helping the Kingdom of Perrault, this was perhaps their biggest involvement yet. The three light fairies knew Stefan and Leah quite well, as they consulted with them for many years and earned their trust. If this failed, they would never forgive themselves. In due time, a meticulous plan emerged from Flora’s mind.

“Girls, I have an idea.” Flora interrupted, waving her hand to shush her arguing sisters.

Merryweather and Fauna looked to the red-clothed fairy with surprise. “Oh?” Merryweather commented. “What might that be?” Fauna added.

“Come with me… we’ll talk in private.” Flora ushered, changing their forms into tinier beings and leading them to a secret room.

…

“So, let me get this straight.” King Stefan began, not without unease, “you wish to raise our daughter in the woods by yourselves… disguised as human peasants and without the benefit of magic… to keep her identity a secret before the sunset of her 18th birthday? Do I have that correct?”

Flora looked to her sisters for support, earning herself two nods from Fauna and Merryweather. By now, the fairies had removed their wings and dressed themselves as peasant women. Flora breathed a heavy sigh and stood tall, “yes, your majesty. Maleficent would not expect such a move. She’d believe we’d use magic to safeguard the princess. As long as the presence of magic is alive, we are not safe from Maleficent or her curse. I fear that Princess Aurora would succumb to the spell even sooner if we don’t act now.”

King Stefan rubbed the back of his neck and closed his eyes. It felt utterly maddening, not because the idea wasn’t a good one, but more because his first child was  _ just _ born. He already had so many plans for her: stories to tell, activities to play, songs to sing, duties to learn. And now he was going to go back to square one, as if their miracle had never been granted.

“Sweetheart,” Stefan spoke, turning to his wife, who lay on their bed holding onto Aurora. “What do you think about this plan?”

Queen Leah simply rose her head and gave Stefan a tired look. “If that is the best option, we do not have a choice.”

“We will not let you down, your majesties, we’ll ensure she receives the best education, the best care, and all the love she deserves.” Flora explained.

“We only ask one thing.” Leah piped up, getting the attention of everyone in the room. “Just…” she breathed quietly, “just let us have her for tonight. One more night with our baby. If I am to not see her for 18 years… at least allow us to have memories of her as a child.”

“Of course, your majesty. We understand completely.” Flora nodded with approval and respect. “We’ll arrive back early tomorrow morning to take her to the cottage. And we assure you she’ll be safe with us.”

“Thank you Flora, Fauna, Merryweather,” Stefan expressed his gratitude. “I hope you’ll be better guardians than us,” he added solemnly.

“Your majesty… we’ve known you for so many years,” Now it was Fauna’s turn to speak, “no matter what, you’re a good father, and your Queen is a good mother. Sometimes the best way to love someone is to let them go, for their own safety.”

“And she’ll still be your daughter,” Merryweather added, “think of this as an extended stay at a university. We’ll be sure to write and keep you updated.”  _ Thank goodness this kingdom is literate,  _ thought Merryweather.

“Yes… yes of course.” King Stefan agreed, “this is for her own protection. Thank you all.”

“We’ll leave you for now… take care tonight, your majesties.” Flora said, as the three fairies bowed with respect before being escorted out of the room by a young guard. Fauna giggled as she held the guard’s hand.

King Stefan turned and sat down upon the bed with Queen Leah, cradling the young Aurora. She didn’t have the strength to look at him and he took notice. Gently, he cupped his hand to her cheek and stroked her dark, golden hair. 

“My dearest Leah,” Stefan spoke gently, “if and whenever you wish to speak to me, I will always be there for you. You have a strong heart and a strong mind. Whatever happened between you and Maleficent, I promise I will do my best to understand.”

Queen Leah, after some time, finally looked upon King Stefan, shedding a single tear. She took a deep breath and caressed Aurora close. “Stefan… as unbelievable as it must sound… I would never have had our child without Maleficent’s help. She… she gave me a potion that healed by womb… and I was no longer sterile. Honey… she was our miracle.”

Stefan would have been lying if he wasn’t overwhelmed by the news, and for a moment several things clicked inside his head.

“Is that why you consulted me on whether we should allow Maleficent into our royal sphere? Was that what she wanted?” Stefan finally asked, giving all his attention to Leah.

Leah nodded her head, “yes. She recognized our partnership with the three good fairies, and told me that she could help our people too. I didn’t know what she meant by that… but… it was a chance to finally be happy. A chance for us to be a family, just like we wanted. So I agreed.”

The Queen handed Aurora over to Stefan, who calmly held onto her. Getting up, she walked over to the vanity and examined her tired features in the mirror. “It was a foolish decision… this is all my fault. You say I have a strong mind but that is not true.”

“Leah, no.” Stefan stood up and walked over to his wife, resting himself by her side. “You have never made a rash decision in your life, ever. I know you, if something didn’t feel right you would have denied it from the beginning. I don’t know what you saw in Maleficent, and I’ll admit I’m questioning it myself, but despite all of that… look at what we have.”

Stefan watched as Leah looked down and saw their daughter, happy as she gazed at her parents. 

“Our daughter is beautiful indeed… thank God we have her for one more night.” Leah said.

“Indeed. She is a miracle,” Stefan agreed. “Sweet Aurora.”

King Stefan and Queen Leah did not sleep that night, not wanting to miss a single second with their infant daughter. They fed her, played with her, and made sure to tell their story, in the hopes that the princess wouldn’t forget and keep her parents alive in her memory somehow. Their hearts grew heavier as the hours passed, knowing what was to come, even if it was the right thing to do.

And so, before the start of dawn, the three light fae turned human returned to the castle, exchanged a few final words with the King and Queen, took Aurora, and disappeared into the landscape. 

**_To be continued…_ **


	2. Motherly Love

**_1361_ **

_ After several years of warfare,  _ **_Edward III of England finally agreed to peace_ ** _ with the now-reduced  _ **_Kingdom of France and its neighbors_ ** _. Many of the newer kingdoms had fallen to the English, and the agreement was passed that there be no more fighting.  _ **_Edward III would keep his annexed lands_ ** _ and the remaining French kingdoms would recognize their rule for the time being.  _

_ It was a  _ **_tumultuous peace_ ** _ , but the lack of attention towards issues of war meant that  _ **_parents could raise their children in relative safety_ ** _. It was a grand time to make memories. _

…

The sound of sporadic hooves and claws clamored through the stony castle floor. Maleficent’s goons were running from something...

“Woahohoho!” “Outta my way!” “Yeeeeaah!” They hollered, pushing and shoving each other out of the way. 

Illuminating behind them were bright flashes of green that occasionally shot out ahead of them, hitting the ground and spattering like a fire-cracker. This only served to spook the goons more, and by the time they entered the throne room they were all in a panic trying to hide behind furniture and rubble. 

Unfortunately for them, Maleficent was sitting on her throne, studying a book. Surprised, she stood up and stamped her staff with a loud thud. 

“STOP IT YOU FOOLS!” Maleficent demanded, sending a blast of lightning through the room that got everyone’s attention. All the goons quit moving about and lent their eyes to their mistress.

“Now then… what on Earth is all this nonsense?!” she asked, crossing her arms.

Little giggles emanated from the incoming hallway as an eight-year-old Diana rushed out into the open. She was wearing a simple black dress and boots, and had her hair braided up. Diana quickly pointed a wooden wand at the pig-like goon.

“You lose, Porcus!” she laughed, sending a bolt of green light his way. The beam hit his rump and sent the goon flying into Maleficent's unsuspecting arms. He looked up at her, giving an embarrassed smile, before she tossed him onto the ground with a sneer.

“Ouch…” Porcus groaned as he rubbed his sore bottom.

Diana only giggled some more, jumping in place with delight, “hehehe, ten points for me!”

The little girl danced about some more before finally noticing her mother’s piercing expression. Diana stopped and held the wand behind her back, holding her head down meekly. She knew her mother could have a big temper and braced herself for a fierce scolding.

Maleficent found it difficult not to smile as she bent down to Diana’s level.

“Diana, dear… what is that you have there?” she asked calmly.

Diana sighed and held out the wooden wand, her eyes closed with embarrassment.

“Is that one of my wands?” Maleficent questioned, pointing to the magical object.

“Yes, Mommy,” Diana pouted.

Maleficent gave a little breath of curiosity, “since when did you know how to use a wand?”

Diana finally opened her eyes, still reserved, and looked up to her sorceress guardian, “I watched you… you were making magic with it… I thought it looked easy so I started using it. I’m sorry, Mommy.” After explaining, she attempted to give Maleficent the wand back.

Maleficent simply eyed the wand and chuckled, gently taking Diana’s hand and urging her to keep it.

“My dear,” Maleficent began sweetly, “I only request that you ask me before taking my things, but if you like this wand you can keep it.”

“Really? You mean, you’re not mad?” Diana asked, eyes wide.

“Oh sweetie, I’m not mad at all,” Maleficent reached and picked up Diana, cradling her in her arms. She made her way back to her throne and sat down, sitting her daughter in her lap. The other goons continued to stand at the ready before being dismissed by Maleficent, “leave us.”

After the goons left, Maleficent reached for her book.

“Diana… magic is a very powerful thing: it does not permit itself with just anyone. Only the most passionate, dedicated, and responsible beings can possess the ability to harness magic. It is not a tool to be abused by a thoughtless mind. Do you understand, dear?”

Little Diana nodded her head, holding onto the wand with care. 

Maleficent opened the book, allowing Diana a good look at the illustrations inside, “Diana, if this is something you desire, I could teach you the ways of magic.”

Diana’s eyes lit up, her shy frown growing into a happy smile, “really?”

“Of course!” Maleficent chuckled, “who better a teacher than I?”

Diana giggled, clapping her hands repeatedly, “then I’ll be really good at playing games!”

Maleficent rolled her eyes, “honestly Diana, there’s more to magic than playing silly games with those foolish lackeys of mine.”

“Aww, Mommy, they’re my friends,” Diana replied.

_ At least they got that command right,  _ Maleficent thought, before setting the book back down and holding her daughter close. Diana snuggled into her mother’s cloak, which was surprisingly warm for such a cold fairy. 

In the years since Maleficent adopted Diana as her own child, life in the Forbidden Mountain changed in small ways. There was a noticeable decline in long journeys, elaborate plots, and general bewitching, as the Mistress of All Evil dedicated more of her time to Diana’s care. Having several goons and a raven as additional babysitters made things easier, but in the end Maleficent was most comfortable working with Diana herself. Life felt more in control for Maleficent, and she even dared to believe that she was happier. As if such a thing were possible!

“Remember this, Diana,” Maleficent gently spoke, caressing Diana’s hair, “as long as you use your head, practice every day, and be kind to yourself, you can do anything you wish. And I will be right there behind you, in case you need me.” 

Diana beamed, nuzzling into the dark fabric, “I love you, Mommy.”

“I love you too, dear.” 

…

Far removed from the Forbidden Mountain, tucked away deep in the forested countryside, was a small woodcutter’s cottage. It boasted its own waterwheel and chimney, and sported a lovely garden full of fresh fruits and vegetables. It was originally abandoned long ago, but now there was rich life within its walls. For this was where the light fae, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather took the young Princess Aurora to keep her safe. Disguised as peasant women and stripped of all magic properties, there was no way that Maleficent could find them or bother herself with their concerns. After all, what are mere mortals to a dark fae? Nothing much, really.

So their story went, the three women found a lost newborn in the forest, and decided to raise her by themselves in an environment of nurturing love and care. Because it was better not to raise any suspicions, any information regarding the young Aurora’s parentage, her royal lineage, or her future as a princess was kept a secret. As far as the girl was concerned, her parents died and left her alone in the woods.

To be extra careful, the three fairies renamed the girl Briar Rose. 

At the moment, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather were concerning themselves in the kitchen, struggling with the task of making breakfast. Feeding a child without the aid of magic was an increasingly difficult affair; nursing proved easy enough, but as Rose aged there were only so many times they could pluck berries and dig up carrots before it was time to provide more variety in her diet. Now that Rose was seven years old, the fairies thought to try a special surprise for breakfast. 

“Scrambled eggs, roasted pork, and buttered toast… seems simple enough,” Fauna said as she read through their recipe book. 

Merryweather turned and looked at Fauna with incredulity, “simple enough, she says…”

“Well… it’s cooking isn’t it? Using a fire? I don’t see what the big deal is,” Fauna countered, shrugging her shoulders.

“When was the last time you cooked something with a fire?” Merryweather asked, hands to her hips.

“Well, I… I mean… if you’re asking about intentional vs. unintentional…” Fauna stuttered, earning a mocking laugh from Merryweather. Fauna looked absolutely peeved.

“That’s enough you two!” Flora spoke up, putting herself between the two. The last thing she needed right now is another petty argument. “Remember, this is for Rose. We have to work together!” 

“Yes Flora,” Fauna and Merryweather replied quietly.

The pitter-patter of bare feet down the stairs signaled the arrival of little Briar Rose, sporting a messy patch of blond hair and a ripped and wrinkled green dress. She ran over to the three fairies and nearly bumped into the table before being grabbed by Merryweather.

“Whoa there! You know better than to run in the house, Rose!” Merryweather lightly scolded, setting the little girl beside her.

“Hehehe, I’m sorry Momma-Merryweather,” Rose giggled, tried to peek over the table, “whatcha doin’?”

“Oh… erm… nothing, child!” Flora said, trying to hide the book, “just making a surprise for you.”

Rose gasped, now trying to climb onto the table. It took everything for Merryweather to keep her away.

“Goodness, settle down!” Merryweather cried.

“Oh… why worry about secrets?” Fauna shrugged, “Rose, dear, we want to make a special breakfast for you. Something new for a change.”

Rose stopped her frantic movements but her excitement only grew. She clasped her hands together and beamed, “new breakfast?! I wanna help!”

“Absolutely not!” Flora yelled, walking up to Rose, “this is much too dangerous for little girls.”

Rose’s happiness dimmed slightly - she grew to expect this sort of reaction from her mothers - but she remained determined, “but Mommies, you won’t let anything happen to me. I can do it.”

“No Rose, the last thing we need is another accident,” Flora continued, waggling her finger.

“Remember what happened when you ‘helped’ us repair that crack in the door the other day?” Merryweather added, trying to keep herself from laughing.

“You tried to plug the crack with that lovely red dress Flora made you,” Fauna whined, examining Rose’s tattered clothes, “and now I see you’ve ruined my new dress too!”

“Honestly, Briar Rose, do you know how long it takes us to make clothes for you?” Flora asked, “You need to be more careful!”

“Just leave this to us. You’re not ready for responsibilities like this. You’ll just make another mess,” Merryweather declared.

Little Rose pulled at the skirt of her dress, and her demeanor changed. She frowned deeply and started sniffling. Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather picked up on this and immediately tried to fix it.

“Oh, sweetheart, please understand,” Flora began, “we just want to protect you and do what we think is best. You’re much too young to be worrying about these things.”

“Why don’t you go out and play in the yard? I bet that sounds much more fun than kitchen work, huh?” Fauna suggested, already turning Rose around and patting her gently towards the front door. 

“B-But…” Rose whimpered, before Merryweather went to open the door and usher her outside.

“Go on, Rose. It’s okay,” Merryweather said.

Rose dejectedly walked out the door, holding her head down and focusing on the grass beneath her. Fauna poked her head outside and yelled out, “don’t wander too far! Remember, the forest can be dangerous.” Afterwards she shut the door behind her.

Tears quietly flowed from Rose’s face as she rushed off into the woods. 

…

Diablo the raven preened his feathers as he perched on Maleficent’s shoulder, who watched with great attention as Diana shot at several targets with her wooden wand. This was nothing more than a test of the little girl’s focus, to gauge whether she was capable of handling some of the more advanced magical procedures. It wasn’t like she thought Diana couldn’t learn those things, but Maleficent wanted to be careful and ensure Diana didn’t fall victim to a sudden accident.

“Diana, dear,” Maleficent called out, “try not to swing your arms so much. It’s all in the wrist!”

Nodding her head, Diana spotted a far-off target and flicked the wand as her mother instructed. A green light shot outwards and hit the mark effectively. 

Diana did a little twirl and smiled deeply, “this is so cool!” 

Chuckling quietly, Maleficent calmly approached her daughter and patted her head, “your enthusiasm is contagious, I will admit, but we must keep a level head right now. Remember, magic is more than a game.”

Diana, beaming, looked up at her mother, “I know, Mommy. I’m just so excited to be a great sorceress like you.”

Maleficent bent down and gave Diana a quick hug, her smile spreading from ear to ear, “hopefully you’ll be even better. Now then...”

Ending her embrace, Maleficent took a small step back and crossed her arms. She looked down at Diana with kind authority, “while a wand can be a great tool for anyone, magic can manifest itself in other ways. Sometimes, those who show promise can conjure spells from their own bodies. I myself possess this ability.”

To demonstrate, Maleficent lifted her right arm and concentrated as purple mist began to appear around her hand. Diana’s eyes grew big as her mother gently swished her arm back and forth, creating abstract shapes in the air. Finishing up, Maleficent formed the purple mist into a sphere and closed her hand into a fist, which turned the purple ball yellow and sent beams of light radiating outwards like a firework. 

Diana clapped and started jumping up and down, “ooooo! I wanna try! I wanna try!” Without a cue, she wiggled her arm about and nothing happened. Diana closed her eyes and tried again, but still nothing. She started getting noticeably disappointed.

“Sweetheart, please settle down,” Maleficent said, “these things take time and practice. Honestly, those abilities are not always gifted to some beings, we’ll just have to test and see.”

“You mean… I may not be magical?” Diana frowned.

“I can already tell you’re not magical, little lady!” shouted a sarcastic voice from afar. 

Maleficent, Diana, and Diablo all looked up to find that a sphinx was reclining on one of the walls of the courtyard. She was golden yellow, with gray wings and a low updo of brunette hair on her human head. Smirking, she held her paws under her chin.

Sneering, Maleficent stomped up to the sphinx and clenched her fists, “Kacia! This doesn’t concern you! Get out of here!”

“Aww come on, Mal! You keep your new human pet a secret from me for eight years and don’t even bother to let me know?” Kacia pouted, “I feel insulted.”

“Diana is not my ‘pet’, she is my  _ daughter _ , and she is none of your business,” Maleficent clarified, growling with frustration, “be gone!”. Diablo instinctively flew from her mistress’ perch and landed beside Diana, holding out his wings to protect her.

Kacia, giggling, hopped down and started advancing upon Maleficent, “your daughter, eh? Let me take a look at her.”

“Don’t you dare come any closer!” Maleficent pulled out her staff from thin air and held it before her defensively.

Cocking her head, Kacia leaped into the air and began leisurely soaring around the trio. With a slight panic in her voice, Maleficent turned around and yelled at the young girl, “Diana, get inside!”

“Mommy?” Diana fearfully called back, before being led towards one of the doors by Diablo, who was pushing her along with the top of his head. Before they could reach the handle, the sphinx landed in their way. 

“You’re a funny looking thing, aren’t you?” Kacia said, sniffing the air, “why would Maleficent waste her time with a little mouse like you?”

Diana didn’t say a word as Kacia bared her fangs, but before she could continue Maleficent had sent a rapid bolt of lightning towards the sphinx. The bright yellow spark had struck Kacia right on the hindquarters and sent her yowling into the air. Diablo flew up, grabbed Diana’s dress by his feet, and led her away from the upcoming fight.

Maleficent continued sending bolts of lightning at Kacia, who managed to dodge most of the blasts before launching herself into the sky. She rounded Maleficent, trying to find an opening where she could strike. The dark fairy kept her guard, but when she gave a glance towards Diana’s direction, Kacia swooped down and knocked Maleficent down. 

Pinned to the ground, Maleficent struggled to hold Kacia back with her arms as the sphinx clawed and snapped at her. Maleficent couldn’t use her staff as it had been kicked away, and she couldn’t concentrate very well on any other magic, so she was at a great disadvantage. 

Whimpering and sobbing, Diana started running over to the dueling beings. Diablo gave a caw of shock before flying off to alert the others. 

“Leave Mommy alone!” Diana exclaimed, pointing her wand and firing at the sphinx. The green sparks were clearly much less effective than any of Maleficent’s powers, as they bounced off Kacia’s hide. 

Kacia managed to pin Maleficent’s face to the ground, cheek in the dust, and craned her neck at the frightened child. “Aww… I’m so afraid!” she mocked.

Diana was unphased as she shot another beam of light and gave a growl of her own. The magic struck Kacia on the snout, only causing the sphinx to wiggler her nose a bit. Kacia sent out a loud roar which knocked Diana on her feet.

Seeing her chance, Maleficent kicked her knee up and pushed Kacia off of her. Recovering, Kacia shook her head and watched as a cawing raven approached with a small army of weaponized, screaming goons. 

She rolled her eyes and flew off towards a courtyard wall. Before she left, Kacia gave one last look at the commotion, “Diana is going to need a lot more than a stick if she’s gonna survive out in the real world! You can’t protect her forever!” With that, she took off into the clouds.

The goons arrived to find that Maleficent was collapsed on the ground, badly scratched. They knew, however, that she had managed worse scraps, and were not very worried. When it came to Diana, they found her in a ball on the ground, shielding her head with her arms and her stomach with her legs. 

Porcus approached with great concern, “Diana! Are you okay?!”

Diana unraveled from her position and gazed at the goons with fearful eyes, “yeah… is she gone?”

“Yes, we scared her off,” Porcus answered, shifting his gaze towards her mother, “but Mistress is hurt.”

“What? Mommy!” Diana leaped up and rushed over to her mother. There she saw Maleficent’s arms, ripped and bloody, and gasped: Diana had never seen her mother so injured before, and she started panicking.

Catching wind of her daughter’s anxious noises, Maleficent sat up and shielded her cuts within her large sleeves. She gave a frail smile and spoke softly, “it’s alright, Diana. I am okay… just a little weak. Why don’t we go inside and clean up this mess on my arms, alright?”

Diana could only nod her head and give a little frown, “okay, Mommy.”

…

Deep in the forest, but not terribly deep, Rose sat against a tree by herself and weeped. She rested her head on her knees, using her arms to hold her legs up close. Her shoulders heaved with each sob. 

For Rose, everything just didn’t seem fair. She was a sprightly and energetic child, so full of enthusiasm and wonder about everything. The little reading lessons Rose got with her mothers always made her curious to know more, and yet the three women always seemed to keep her from going the extra mile. It was frustrating.

The sound of Rose’s cries drew attention from several animals in the forest. One by one, a pair of rabbits, a squirrel, a snake, a few songbirds, and a gray-brown owl all approached the sad little girl. They observed her with peculiarity before the owl finally spoke up with a  _ hoo _ .

Gasping, Rose fidgeted in her seat, lifting her head to get a good look at the small menagerie.

“Oh… hello,” Rose said quietly.

_ Hoo hoo _ called the owl, while the songbirds chirped and the squirrel chittered. The snake simply flickered its tongue while the rabbits twitched their noses.

Rose felt a little embarrassed and apologized with a bow of her head. “I’m sorry… I hope I didn’t bother you with my crying,” Rose said, wiping her eyes, “I’m just really sad.”

_ Hoo _

“It’s my Mommies… Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather. They don’t think I can do anything.”

_ Hoo _

Rose allowed her legs to relax as she leaned against the tree. “I think they’re afraid that I’m going to hurt myself or something… but how will they know if they don’t let me try?”

The group of animals all huddled close to her, with the squirrel jumping on her lap. One of the songbirds perched on her head and took a seat. It was their way of showing comfort, which Rose appreciated as she gave the squirrel some scritches on its head.

“They just think I’m going to mess everything up…” Rose examined her dirty green dress again, tracing her fingers up and down the different tears, “... but I don’t always make a mess. At least… I don’t think I do.”

_ Hoo _

Rose shrugged, frowning as she looked to the side, “I just feel weird about it.”

This was certainly not the first time Rose had gotten into a disagreement with Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather about her capabilities, but she desperately wished it could be the last. There were a number of things Rose was able to do well and with neatness. Afterall, she always knew how to make her bed, put away her dirty clothes, and clean up her toys. Surely cooking or anything like that wouldn’t be too difficult. Maybe her mothers were afraid because they had bad experiences with their parents, Rose pondered, trying to put herself in their shoes.

“I’m sure my Mommies mean well, and they want what’s best for me… maybe I should talk to them about it and they can understand how I feel?”

Standing up, Rose gave a curtsy to her new animal friends, “thank you for your kindness… I would very much love to see you all again soon, so we can talk more and play!” 

_ Hoo hoo _ cried the owl, while the other animals chirped and chattered their goodbyes.

With that, Rose scampered back to the cottage with new energy. When she returned to the cottage, she found that there was black smoke rising from the chimney and the sounds of frantic yelling indoors. 

_ Oh no _ , Rose thought as she burst through the door, only to find that Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather had made a big mess of their own in the fireplace. Soot was everywhere (including all over Fauna) and Flora was busy running two and fro with buckets of water to try and put out the remaining flames. Merryweather, meanwhile, was sitting on the ground, covered with milk and cracked eggs. 

“You are by far the biggest idiot I know!” Merryweather shouted to Fauna, who angrily tried to brush off the soot from her dress.

“So I made a mistake… that’s no reason to say such cruel things to me!” Fauna cried, stomping her foot.

“Well it’s the truth!” Merryweather countered as she stood up and chucked some eggshell and goop in Fauna’s direction. 

Fauna batted the eggs away, marching up to Merryweather and shoving her, “take that back! You don’t mean it!”

“Make me!” Merryweather yelled, shoving Fauna back.

“Girls, girls! Enough!” Flora intervened once the fire had been put out.

Merryweather turned to Flora and clicked her tongue, “oh what are you gonna do? You big ol’ frump!” 

“What did you call me?!?!” Flora shouted, slamming a water bucket over Merryweather’s head. Before long the three women all leaped onto each other, tussling and smacking and shouting at each other. 

Rose couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

“STOP IT!” she screamed.

Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather all stopped, taken completely by surprise by Rose’s presence. They didn’t expect her to witness this.

“Rose! I… erm… don’t mind us!” Flora spoke, standing up and clasping her hands together.

“Yeah! We’re just making the special breakfast, like we said!” Fauna added, straightening her hair.

“We’re just having a little disagreement, is all,” Merryweather clarified, shaking her head up and down and giving the fakest of smiles.

“You were fighting! I saw you! Why would you try to hurt each other like that?!” Rose asked, waving her arms around in frustration.

The three women couldn’t speak, they were so ashamed.

Rose continued, “you always tell me that I can’t do anything because I’m just a little girl. You never give me a chance to prove myself and you always push me away when I want to try! And here I am right now, and you three don’t even know what you’re doing! If anything, you’re all more like little girls than I am!”

Taking a deep breath, Rose felt her anxiety spike. She had never scolded at her mothers that way before, and she just knew that they would punish her good. Flora approached her and Rose braced for whatever was in store. 

To her surprise, she found that Flora had wrapped her in a hug. 

“Oh Rose… you’re… you’re right,” Flora said calmly, “you’re absolutely right.”

Fauna and Merryweather looked to each other and gave silent apologies before joining Flora and Rose in their hug.

“I am?” Rose asked as the three pulled away.

“Yes, dear,” Merryweather responded, holding her hands behind her back, “to tell you the truth… we really don’t always know what we’re doing. Everything we’ve done to care for you, we learned through trial and error.”

“And we made many mistakes,” Fauna added, holding her head down, “it’s not always as easy as we make it look.”

“Sometimes we get very frustrated and argue with each other… and that’s only because we care so much about getting it right,” Flora said.

Rose looked to each of her mothers and sighed, “so you’re all learning how to do things… like me?” This was unexpected.

“Mhmm,” Merryweather replied, “always learning. That way we can show you how to do things safely and properly.”

“Wouldn’t it be better,” Rose began, “if we learned together?”

Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather glanced at each other nervously.

“I want to learn… just as much as you. I know I can do it, and I know you three can do it too. If we work together, we can do anything we wish,” Rose explained passionately.

Fauna was the first to speak up, “I think that’s fair.”

Merryweather couldn’t help but smile at Rose’s insight, “that certainly would make things a little easier, wouldn’t they?”

Flora didn’t give her response initially, as she was still rather worried about potential accidents, but she quickly realized how pointless it was to fret about it. “I suppose… I suppose that’s okay.”

Rose smiled with relief, grateful that her mothers could understand.

“Of course,” Fauna piped up, “it’s already almost noon. Perhaps our special breakfast will have to become a special lunch!”

That sent Rose into a fit of vibrant giggles.

…

By nightfall, most everyone besides Maleficent was fast asleep in the castle. The Mistress of All Evil was attempting to stay up again for the night to work on some potions, as she often did, but found her eyelids dancing every so often. Like all humans, Diana couldn’t stay up all night like Maleficent could, so she was put to bed hours ago. After today’s scruffle, the first in quite a while, Maleficent was feeling very tired and contemplated getting some sleep herself.

“MOMMY! MOMMY!” cried Diana from outside Maleficent’s room. She could hear her footsteps running up the stairs to the tower, and Maleficent wasted no time leaping from her work table and opening the door to a shivering, scared Diana that grabbed onto her cloak and weeped.

“Diana, honey, what’s wrong?” Maleficent asked, bending down to pet her daughter’s head.

Diana removed her head and looked up at Maleficent with tear-filled eyes, “She… she was gonna get me!”

“Who, dear?” Maleficent’s defense went up.

“That woman… the flying cat woman! She was in my dream! Biting at me!” Diana explained, to which Maleficent mentally breathed a sigh of relief. 

“Oh… that was only a nightmare, sweetie. It’s not real,” Maleficent assured, gently holding onto Diana’s shoulders. 

“It felt real,” Diana whimpered, feeling like crying again.

Maleficent wrapped an arm around her daughter's shoulders and led her into her room. She gently picked her daughter up and placed her on the various pillows and quilts on her bed, where the sheer comfort of it all already began to work its magic.

“Do you think she’ll come back?” Diana asked.

“Honestly? She’ll try to,” Maleficent stated matter-of-factly, “We’ll just have to be ready whenever she does.”

Diana looked over to her mother’s arms, seeing that the cuts on her arms had already healed. She looked at her own arms and remained generally quiet. 

Maleficent noticed this and moved to sit on the bed with her: “Don’t worry, Diana, I would never, ever, let anything happen to you.”

“But… what about you?” Diana asked, causing her mother to raise an eyebrow.

“What about me?”

“That lady was attacking you… and she hurt you.”

“Yes, she did. And I’m still here, aren’t I?”

“No thanks to me,” Diana responded, dejectedly.

“Diana, it’s not your job to take care of me,” Maleficent said shortly, before smiling, “but you did help me today.”

Diana crossed her arms, collapsing onto the bed and hiding her face, “you’re just saying that to make me feel better. My magic is useless. I can’t do anything right.”

“That is not true! We still have much to practice, and you’re still very young. You have so many years ahead of you to grow your skills. You mustn't give up so soon!” Maleficent assured, pushing away pillows so she could see Diana’s face.

Her daughter didn’t say anything, retaining an almost stoic-like face. Maleficent sighed, before sneakily stretching her arm towards Diana’s side and wiggling her finger around. Diana started giggling, “Mommy, please, that tickles!”

“What are you gonna do about it? Huh?” Maleficent mocked, tickling her daughter with both hands now.

“No, stop! Hehe!” Diana cackled, squirming around the bed and knocking pillows aside. Soon Diana managed to toss a pillow Maleficent’s way, releasing her grip. Diana leaped onto her mother and began to tickle at her sides.

“Oh no!! Argh! You got me!” Maleficent laughed, “Help! The sorceress has me under her spell!”

Diana tickled some more before Maleficent pretended to die, flopping her arms over the bed and gasping for breath.

“Alas, I am defeated! My reign ends here!” Maleficent declared, earning a giggly cheer from Diana.

Diana got off of her mother and snuggled comfortably to her side, and the two stared at the ceiling together. They sat in silence for a little bit, observing the myriad cracks and shapes on the rocky ceiling.

The little girl could swore she started hearing small snores, and she turned her neck slightly to find that Maleficent had fallen asleep right there. Smiling, Diana pulled over one of the quilts and placed it between them.

“Thank you, Mommy,” she whispered, before drifting off to sleep.

…

As it turned out, making the breakfast-turned-lunch proved to be a very smooth exercise. Rose proved to be very dexterous with several of the cooking tools, and even thought up a unique type of fork when toasting bread proved difficult. Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather put themselves in charge of their own unique stations, but still made it a point to inform the others about what they were doing so they could remember. In the end, the meal was exquisite, so much so that they repeated it again for dinner. Rose was very pleased that they finally took the time to listen to her and allow her to experiment and work with everything, and she could tell they appreciated the opportunity to learn as well.

That night, Rose was sitting with her mothers and reading from her storybook. The barely made it through the story before she began getting very sleepy. 

“Aww, dear, I bet you’re exhausted from all the great work you did today,” Flora asked, booping Rose on the nose with her finger.

“Hehe… yeah,” Rose yawned.

“Alright then, bedtime for Rose,” Merryweather tucked Rose in as Fauna set the book on the shelf and Flora began to blow out the candles in the room. 

“Momma-Flora, Momma-Fauna, Momma-Merryweather?” Rose asked, earning the three’s attention yet again.

“Yes, dear?” Fauna responded.

“How come nobody comes over to visit us? We made such a delicious meal today… we should share that with others,” Rose suggested, “just like in the story we read”.

“Oh… sweetheart, we’d love nothing more than to have visitors… but the world is a dangerous place, Rose,” Flora explained, “we don’t want to risk it.”

“Surely not everyone is dangerous… what about the King and Queen of the land?” Rose asked, cocking her head.

“Well… they may not be dangerous per se… but we’re peasants,” Fauna jumped in, “they have much more important things to deal with than simple folk like us. We wouldn’t want to make them angry by bugging them.”

“But, a King and Queen are supposed to-” Rose began, before Flora hushed her.

“Tut-tut dear, it’s time to go to sleep now,” Flora said, to which Rose simply nodded in acceptance.

Each of the three gave a little kiss on Rose’s forehead and made their way out of the room, giving off a series of “good night, Rose”. 

After shutting the door and descending down the stairs, Merryweather gave a little huff.

“What is it, Merryweather?” Fauna asked, noticing her chance of mood.

Merryweather turned around and faced her sisters, hands to her hips, “how long do you think we’ll be able to keep this up?”

“What do you mean?” Flora questioned.

“All these lies!” Merryweather exclaimed, as quietly as possible.

“They’re not lies! We’re just being absolutely careful! You forget we’re not living here and raising Aurora, erm, Rose on a whim!” Flora responded, upset at her sister’s accusation.

“You don’t think I know that?” Merryweather countered, “Rose is going to grow up eventually, and she’s not going to want to stay cooped up in here. She’s going to want to go out and explore the world and meet new people.”

“It’s not forever, Merryweather! It’s just until her eighteenth birthday. Then we’ll be able to reveal everything to her.” Flora said.

“Why couldn’t we have told her the truth in the first place?” Merryweather asked, waving her arm in the direction of Rose’s bedroom door, “She clearly has a wisdom beyond her years, we all saw that today. Surely she’d understand the circumstances of her time here, and that way we wouldn’t have to make up excuses to keep her locked up here.”

“That is too great a risk to take! It for her own safety! Suppose someone found out? Huh? Word spreads surprisingly quickly around here,” Flora explained.

“Are you kidding me?! Who’s going to know? We’re the only ones that ever leave the glen, going off into town to get groceries and such. Hell, we use a carrier pigeon to send messages to the King and Queen! Coded messages! We’re already pretty careful around here!” Merryweather felt like giving up her complaints, and she strolled over and planted herself into a chair, giving an exasperated breath. “Ahh, this is pointless. Who cares what I have to say around here?”

“Now, Merryweather,” Fauna intervened, walking over and placing a friendly arm on her shoulder, “we all value your opinion. But we’ve already been at this for seven years… what’s the point of changing our story now? Rose is still very young. The poor dear is just going to get confused.”

“No, what’s going to happen is that on Rose’s eighteenth birthday, she’s going to be absolutely furious and no longer find a reason to trust us. She’s living a lie… her entire life is a lie. Don’t you two realize what we’re doing? Curse or no curse, this is wrong.”

Flora and Fauna had nothing to say to that, and only hung their heads in sadness. As much as they didn’t want to admit it, as much as they didn’t want to change their plans, deep down they knew it was true.

  
  


**_To be continued..._ **


	3. My Dream Princess

**_1371_ **

_ Ten years have gone by and while peacetime was appreciated by all it was not to last. Trouble was brewing in  _ **_Castille, the Spanish Kingdom_ ** _ , for  _ **_civil war had broken out_ ** _ between the ruling family. The  _ **_Kingdom of England favored one side_ ** _ and  _ **_the French kingdoms favored the other_ ** _ , each of them sending troops and funds to help support their side of the conflict.  _

_ The son and heir of Edward III,  _ **_Edward of Woodstock_ ** _ , attempted to restore England’s choice for Castille’s rightful king and  _ **_offered extensive sums of money_ ** _ to do so. Unfortunately, the Spanish people  _ **_couldn’t afford to repay their debt_ ** _ , so Edward  _ **_raised taxes_ ** _ on his English domain to cover the costs. Frightened of losing their livelihoods, his people  _ **_pleaded for help_ ** _ from the  _ **_Kingdom of France_ ** _. _

_ Sensing the clear abuse of power, France’s then king,  _ **_Charles V_ ** _ ,  _ **_requested an audience_ ** _ with Edward of Woodstock in his territory. The English king, appalled at this,  _ **_offered to visit with thousands of armed troops_ ** _ , and so, in retaliation, the Charles V  _ **_kickstarted war yet again in 1369_ ** _. His first goal was to take back all the English possessions of France. _

_Throughout all of this,_ ** _England’s leaders were not in good health_** _. Thus,_ ** _the_** **_French were already gaining the upper hand_** _in the conflict._

_ Yet all of this is but a footnote in our story for now. Among the people’s daily lives, much stronger forces were at work. _

…

“Okay… Topaz? Check. Turquoise? Check. Violane? Check.” 

Diana stood in front of a large wooden shelf, hands to her hips, as she closely examined her collection of minerals and rocks. 

Years of careful training with Maleficent revealed quite a range of magical abilities for the young woman. While she was never able to conjure magic from her own body, Diana gained a lot of insights from the practice she did with her wooden wand. She could lift objects, change the composition of materials, and repair damage, as well as shoot stronger beams of magic. While Diana appreciated these new abilities, as she aged she found that there were many more worthwhile pursuits than just learning magic, and Maleficent only encouraged these interests.

“This one is really pretty,” commented Porcus, holding up a pinkish-red gemstone.

“That’s thulite,” Diana said, “there’s a nice outcrop in Milan where I found it.”

“Oh wow! You went all the way there for a rock?” Porcus asked, scratching his helmeted head.

Diana, huffing, turned to the goon and crossed her arms. “First of all,” she began, furrowing her thick eyebrows, “it’s not a rock, it’s a mineral. A silicate. Second, I didn’t just go to Milan to collect it, I wanted to explore around. There are some cool places to see there, and the food is pretty good too.”

“How come you didn’t take us with you?” Porcus pouted, as Diana took the gemstone from his hand and placed it back on the shelf.

“You remember the last time I brought you guys somewhere? We barely escaped with our heads!” Diana reminded, before placing a gentle hand on the goon’s shoulder, “I know you all love causing mischief wherever you go, but do you think maybe people might treat you nicer if you weren’t always trying to stir trouble?”

Porcus shrugged, innocently turning his right hoof on the ground, “I guess… but it’s what we do. Mistress keeps us for a reason.”

Diana sighed, rolling her eyes. “Yeah, I suppose that’s true. But that doesn’t mean you gotta do evil schemes all the time. Save it for the people who deserve it: that’s what Mother always tells me.”

Eyeing a particular spot on the shelf, Diana thought for a moment. Her foot tapped rapidly on the stone floor.

“What is it, Diana?” Porcus asked.

“You know what my collection needs now? Petalite! Oooh, yes, okay!” Diana practically leaped over the curious goon and grabbed her cloth-knapsack and pickaxe. She sat on the bed, urging Porcus to help her tie a braid. 

“You’re leaving already? I thought you were gonna join us for our picnic lunch in the courtyard?” Porcus asked, adjusting a hair band before beginning the tying.

“I’m sorry but I really want to get out and enjoy the day while I can! We’re in for some rough weather apparently… Let’s reschedule, okay?” Diana apologized, quietly patting her hands on her knees.

“Alright…” Porcus conceded, finishing the braid. 

Diana turned around and gave a small kiss on Porcus’ head, “I appreciate it! Bye!” 

Grabbing her things, Diana ran out the door to her room. Porcus grumbled as he exited the room, “more food for me, anyway.”

…

Sitting upon her throne, Maleficent fidgeted with her staff. Diablo sat beside her, offering as much comfort as he could to his anxious owner. Everyone in the Forbidden Mountain knew why she was so increasingly nervous.

“Year 17… how the years fly by” Maleficent lamented. “My pet, the window for the Princess Aurora’s curse closes ever more with each passing month. Where on Earth could she possibly be?”

Diablo gave a small caw, allowing Maleficent to pet him on the snout.

“Those fools better know what they’re doing… I swear, if this opportunity slips from me, my reputation is ruined. This is a princess we’re talking about! She’s not even a threat! Ugh, this is so stupid.” Maleficent held her head in her hand.

Diana peeked her head into the throne room, eyeing her worried mother. She sneaked around the corner and tip-toed behind the large, stone chair, a mischievous look on her face. Diablo spotted her, but didn’t give a peep as Diana silently shushed him with a finger to her lips. Taking care, she pulled out her wand and quickly created a large blue gaseous sphere. The object floated down until it caught on Maleficent’s horns, generating a loud “POP” that sprinkled blue dust all over. The woman leaped in her seat and yelped.

Hearing the quiet giggled behind her, Maleficent couldn’t help but grin. “Ohhh you little knuckle head!” she playfully scolded, “what have I told you about surprises?!”

Maleficent turned around to the left, but found that Diana was not there. Her daughter had rounded the chair on the right-hand side and leaped onto the throne, sending Diablo squawking into the air.

“To always expect them!” Diana exclaimed, giving her mother another jump. The two descended into a fit of laughter before settling down.

Maleficent eyed her daughter’s knapsack, “going out?”

“Yep! Gonna look for some new minerals,” Diana explained, clasping her hands together, “while the day is nice.”

“Ugh, that storm can’t come soon enough,” Maleficent groaned, “well then, where are you off to?”

“The nearby woods, just past the mountains,” Diana replied, “I got a tip from the marketplace that there are some good outcrops there.”

“Well, I hope you find something nice,” Maleficent smiled, closing Diana in for a hug. 

Diana could tell her mother wasn’t feeling all there this morning, “Mother, are you still stressing out about that lost princess?”

“I’m afraid so,” Maleficent responded, pulling back from the hug, “the search parties still haven’t been successful. Not even my magic can help me at this point! I don’t know what to do.”

“We still have a year,” Diana noted optimistically, “anything can happen! Who knows?”

Maleficent gave a weak smile, “that is a nice thought.”

…

Unbeknownst to Maleficent, the lost princess was much closer than she thought. 

The years had been very kind to Briar Rose, who had grown into a very resourceful and beautiful young woman. Within the cottage, she and her mothers became more skilled with cooking and other chores each passing day, and there were many joyous times of song and feast. At Merryweather’s suggestion, Rose was allowed to explore more of her woodland home and even got the opportunity to travel with them into town for special events and holidays. Rose was slowly getting the freedom she desired, but even so, she was still not happy.

In the kitchen, the four were eyeing over a cookbook.

“No no, we’ve made that already,” Flora said, shaking her head.

“Well, what about this?” Fauna suggested, “that looks tasty.”

“That does sound nice, but some of these ingredients aren’t in season yet,” Merryweather explained, turning the page. 

“Ooh! Marinated leeks in mustard vinaigrette. That looks like something we could do,” Rose pointed at a page.

“Hmm, it seems we do have most everything here… we just need extra thyme and parsley,” Fauna beamed, “oh that sounds so delicious right now!”

“Then it’s settled!” Flora said, turning to her daughter, “Rose, dear, could you go out to the forest and pick some wild thyme and parsley? We can get started with everything in about an hour for lunch.” 

“Of course, Mother-Flora,” Rose smiled, walking to grab her basket.

“Now remember, dear-” Flora started, running to grab Rose’s shawl, but her daughter quickly snatched it before she could reach it.

“I know, I know,” Rose rolled her eyes, “don’t wander too far from the woods and don’t talk to strangers.” Rose wrapped the shawl around her head, “anything else?”

Flora couldn’t help but chuckle, “no, that about sums it up. You know I only worry because I love you.”

“I love you too, all of you,” Rose said, opening her arms out so her three mothers could hug her. 

Before long, she was out the door, waving a series of “goodbyes” to Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather, who stood by the door with a mixture of conflicted emotions. Rose regularly left the house by now, but each time still worried them.

“I do hope she’s careful,” Fauna said softly.

“Oh of course she’ll be careful, when has Rose ever gotten into trouble?” Merryweather countered.

“She really has always been a good kid,” Flora commented sentimentally.

…

Underneath the shade of the canopy, Briar Rose picked from a patch of wild thyme, occasionally sampling some of the younger leaves for the flavor. Not far away were her animal friends, who she delighted herself with over the past ten years. Though she loved them dearly, eventually there came a point in her age when they were no longer enough for her.

“Oh dear,” Rose quietly sighed, finishing up her pickings and striding over to a nearby stream. The animals followed her, confused at her change of demeanor.

She took a seat on some rocks and dipped her bare foot in the water, forming delicate wripples that she focused on.

_ Hoo  _ called the owl, who snuggled into her a bit. Rose absentmindedly scritched his head.

“It’s just… oh, nevermind, it’s silly,” Rose replied.

This only caused the animals to chatter more, urging their friend to talk to them. The rabbits softly butted their heads at Rose’s legs while the snake crawled up her arm and nudged her shoulder.

“Alright, alright!” Rose couldn’t help but giggle, “I’m just thinking about my life… and how lonely it’s been. Don’t get me wrong, I love living with my mothers, and I do enjoy your company so much… but these last few years I’ve been having… dreams about someone.”

_ Hoo hoo  _ cried the owl, hopping up and down.

“Well… they’re not dreams about anyone I’ve met before… because I’ve rarely gotten to meet people. It’s someone I created with my imagination.”

This only excited her animal friends even more, and sensing their interest, Rose playfully got up and strolled back into the trees. The rabbits, squirrels, birds, and other animals followed her like her own shadow. Rose gave a small twirl and closed her eyes as the rays of the sun pierced through the treetops, warming her body.

“She has a bit of grace about herself, which could make the whole world stop and admire her. She’s very strong, which means she can easily carry me off my feet,” Rose described in a soothing tone.

The young woman planted herself on the grass, holding herself in her arms. The animals sat around her and rolled in the heated grass.

“She’s as warm as the sun. So beautiful… and oh so romantic,” Rose continued, “You see? She’s my dream princess. Whenever I close my eyes, she’s always there waiting for me.”

Rose sighed, reclining back onto the soft grass. She rested her arms behind her head and took in the view from above. The owl splayed itself on its back, joining his friend and giving a little  _ hoo.  _ The other animals followed suit.

“I… I do wish she was real though. I remember from my old storybook… if you dream a thing more than once, it’s sure to come true. So, maybe there’s hope for me,” Rose pondered. “What I wouldn’t give to have her cradle me in her arms, and kiss me all over.”

At that moment she closed her eyes and rested, breathing in the noon air softly.

A little bit away, Diana hiked alongside the stream, following the slow current in search of the petalite outcrop. Somewhat lazily, she waved her wand about, spraying little sparkles of magic here and there. There was no sign yet of the outcrop, but Diana was in no hurry to find it. The day was so lovely anyway.

Diana craned her head towards the stream and watched the crisp blue water flow by. “I might fancy a swim,” Diana commented to herself, “maybe for a little bit. It’s kinda toasty today.” 

Setting her knapsack down by a tree, she pulled off her pine-green and purple coat and tossed it on a low-hanging tree branch.

Sensing the sound of the rustling branch, some of the animals got up from their rest and focused their attention. The owl, in particular, caught a good sight of the clothing. Looking back on his napping friend, he immediately hatched an idea. Whispering little  _ hoo hoos  _ to the birds and rabbits, the owl flapped his wings and urged them to follow.

By now, Diana had removed her black flats and was untying her braid. The small group of animals crept up to the tree and swiftly removed the coat and shoes, heading off into the brush. Diana went to place her hair-tie on a limb and found her belongings were missing.

“Um… what?” she said, looking everywhere.

Hiding behind a large bush, two of the birds helped the owl into the coat, while the rabbits fitting themselves snuggly into Diana’s shoes. By now the snake had slithered over and eyeing the get-up, slank up the owl’s back (the bird uttering some giggly  _ hoos _ ) and set itself up inside the coat sleeves, acting as arms. Taking care, all the animals aligned themselves and walked in Rose’s direction, forming the shape of a human girl!

Rose stretched and yawned, rising herself up and noticing that most of her animal friends were missing. Some of the other birds peeped at her, bringing her attention to the approaching owl wearing a coat.

“What on earth?” she commented, before realizing what she was seeing. Rose laughed heartily and got to her feet, clasping her hands together with glee, “oh! Well, this is quite the surprise! It’s my dream princess!”

She playfully curtseyed to her friends, “your highness!”, to which the owl and snake did their best to curtsey back. 

Rose giggled as she approached them, removing her shawl and playing along. “I dare say, the forest is not exactly the most stately of places to meet like this, but then, where else could we go?”

_ Hoo  _ called the owl, while the snake extended its tail in Rose’s direction, which she accepted as if “holding a hand”. 

“Oh my!” Rose gasped, “your castle? Why I’m so very honored you would ask. And we can dance and be merry long into the night!”

The young woman gently pulled her animal friends along, twirling them around as she danced about. The rabbits, hopping up and down inside the flats, did their best to keep up with Rose’s fancy footwork. Before long she began singing, her voice echoing beautifully through the trees.

Diana was practically ripping through the foliage for her clothes when she heard the magnificent sounds of a seemingly supernatural song. She had to pause, slowly getting up as she frantically whipped her head back and forth. This was something quite new to her.

“Well… I’m not losing it,” Diana spoke, mentally going through multiplication tables and the classification of minerals, “so that’s not a siren song.”

She held her knapsack close and put it on, deciding to head in the direction of the sound.

“Maybe just a peek… and then I can ask Mother about it,” Diana said, moving slowly through the woods.

Rose continued to dance and sing, unbeknownst to her that Diana had approached. Sensing the other person’s presence, Diana quickly hid behind a tree and carefully looked out around it. She could only see the back of her coat, suspended in the air by a collection of birds, but she could swear she could make out someone else behind it, as Rose’s legs were visible.

“My my, you flatter me,” said the kind voice, “I am not in my best outfit, and yet you look upon me as if I was covered in starlight.”

“What are they doing with my stuff?” Diana whispered to herself.

Before long, the coat had been turned around and Rose was now in full view, smiling as she gave a little bounce. 

Diana’s jaw nearly dropped to the floor. She had to have been the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. What this girl was doing out in the middle of the forest, taking people’s clothes, she didn’t know. But she couldn’t look away.

_ Thank goodness I only removed my coat _ , Diana thought to herself, placing a hand to her head. She needed to get her things back and hoped this woman was friendly enough that she might listen. 

Rose grabbed the coat by the sleeves and wrapped them around her body, her owl friend snuggling in her hair. “You’re so kind to me, my dream girl,” Rose blissfully said, “if only you were really here, speaking to me in words I actually understand.”

“Umm, excuse me? Hello?” Diana spoke up, now out in the open.

Taking out of her thoughts, Rose whipped around and froze at the sight of the stranger. Her animal friends collapsed in a heap under the coat.

“Oh my goodness!” Rose gasped, keeping her arms close.

Diana stopped moving as well, hands raised peacefully, “I’m awfully sorry! I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

Rose didn’t say a word, only keeping her eyes on the girl before her.

“It’s just… that’s my coat… and my shoes,” Diana stated, pointing at the mess before her. Sheepishly, the animals appeared from underneath,staring at the mysterious stranger with wide eyes. “Why did you take them?” Diana asked.

“I didn’t take them. My animal friends did,” Rose finally spoke quietly. 

“Animal friends? Aww that’s cool,” Diana commented, before going to gather her things. “So… I’m just gonna-”

“Please, just take your things and go away! I don’t want any trouble!” Rose exclaimed, hands clenched into fists. By now the animals had scampered off into the underbrush, not far away from their friend.

“What? I’m not looking for trouble,” Diana spoke, surprised at the outburst, “you looked like you were having fun with it. I’m not mad.”

Rose settled down, unclenching her fists and leaving her hands clasped together, “oh… well, that’s good. I guess.” She looked down at her feet, a little embarrassed.

Diana quietly put on her coat and slipped on her flats. Rose gave a small glance her way; she secretly admitted that this girl was rather cute.

“You look lovely in that coat,” Rose said quietly.

“I’m sorry, what?” Diana asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“I said, that’s a lovely coat,” Rose replied, pointing at it, “I like the color.”

“Oh! Thanks,” Diana blushed, “it’s a favorite of mine.” She stopped for a moment, before adding, “I like your dress. It’s really pretty.”

Rose swung her hips a bit, letting the folds of the dress dance about. “Thank you. I made it myself.”

“No kidding?” Diana smiled, “that’s awesome.”

“Yeah,” Rose blushed. 

The two stood facing each other for a few seconds, not really bothering to look at each other, instead taking in the surroundings. The animals, though sensing that there was no danger to be found, stayed back and observed the two.

Diana snapped out of her silence, “I’m sorry… I’m not very good with people.” She rubbed the back of her head.

“Nor am I,” Rose responded, “I don’t really meet anyone around here, except my animal friends.”

“Oh, you live nearby?” Diana asked, very curious, “I didn’t know there were others that lived in the forest. I thought it was just all wild country here.”

“Oh yes… I-” Rose stopped herself, taking a small step back. While this new person seemed friendly, she didn’t want to overstep her mothers’ wishes and reveal their home address. “I do live around here.”

Diana sensed her hesitation and frowned, feeling that she was making the girl uncomfortable. “Well… I think I should leave you be.”

As Diana was about to turn around, she felt a grip on her right shoulder. Rose had grabbed her. “Wait! Don’t… don’t go.”

Rose released her hold, staying put as Diana turned back to face her. “Okay,” Diana said calmly as the golden-blond girl approached her closer, as if peering into her soul. It took everything for Diana not to blush, being so close to who she thought was such a pretty woman. 

“My name is Briar Rose.”

“I’m Diana.” 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Diana,” Rose responded, giving a little chuckle, “I guess that means we’re not strangers anymore.”

“I guess not,” Diana couldn’t help but laugh back, and soon the two shared a small fit of giggling.

“Hey…” Diana felt some courage, “we should… we should hang out sometime.”

“I think I would like that very much,” Rose agreed, grinning, “it does get rather boring here. I don’t have anyone to talk to that’s my age.”

“Yeah, same here. My mother has a few years on her, apparently… and I don’t even know how old her henchmen are,” Diana shrugged, her words earning a raised-eyebrow from Rose.

“Henchmen?” Rose questioned.

“Oh, yeah, they like, work for her,” Diana explained, not wishing to elaborate too much on the dark fairy or her powers. That never seemed to work well for her before. “They help her with projects, and they’re good friends too.”

“That’s very sweet,” Rose replied, “I’m glad you’re not all alone at home. Even with three mothers, it’s not always easy to be myself.” 

Diana blinked her eyes, “three mothers? That’s pretty cool.”

“They’re all sisters… they found me when I was a baby. Both of my biological parents had died,” Rose elaborated.

“I’m so sorry,” Diana frowned.

“I mean… it’s alright,” Rose shrugged, “To be honest I don’t really get sad about it. I was so young I don’t remember anything about them… my three dears have always been my true mothers. I learned so much with them and they always shower me with love.”

Diana smiled, “that’s really great. Reminds me of my mother. She gave birth to me all by herself… I never had a father: she always told me that I was a magical baby. She’s my best friend.”

“I’d certainly love to meet her,” Rose commented, “and I bet my mothers… well, they’d certainly be cross with me that I’m even speaking to you.”

“Heh, well, you said it yourself, we’re not strangers anymore,” Diana reminded, chuckling.

“Indeed so!” Rose laughed, “but we best not take any chances for now.” 

Rose put on her shawl and picked up her basket of thyme and parsley, “I have to get home so we can get ready for lunch… the next time we meet up, we can stay here in the forest. We’ll be safe from worrying eyes.”

“Sure… yes, okay! That sounds great!” Diana clapped her hands, “I look forward to it.”

The two girls were about to head out in opposite directions, before turning back towards each other. “What time would-” they said in unison, before laughing at their error.

“Could you come back next week? Same time?” Rose asked.

“Sure! I’ll bring snacks,” Diana responded.

“Good idea,” Rose blushed, “see you then, Diana.”

“You too, Rose,” Diana blushed back.

As they left, the animals walked out of the bushes and looked to each other with slight concern. Rose was so preoccupied with her new friend that she didn’t even say goodbye.

…

It was early evening when Diana returned to the Forbidden Mountain, skipping towards the castle with an air of bliss. The bridge guard observed her arrival and bid her hello, only to be returned by a playful pat on the head by the starry-eyed girl.

Maleficent was in the kitchen when she heard her daughter’s footsteps down the hallway. Smiling warmly, she continued chopping up conjured vegetables as Diana entered the room, placing the basket of chiseled petalite on the stone island.

“Greetings, Diana. I see you were successful in your search,” Maleficent commented.

“Oh yeah,” Diana responded, “that outcrop was really something. Looking forward to polishing these. Glad I went before the rains kicked in.”

“I’m glad too… well then, could you help me by setting the table? Dinner should be ready very soon,” Maleficent asked, checking her oven.

“Of course,” Diana nodded, striding to a cabinet to gather plates.

Maleficent couldn’t help but notice that Diana seemed rather light on her feet, “you’re rather giddy tonight… you didn’t happen to also find a diamond mine on your travels did you?”

Diana blushed as she grabbed some plates. She figured there was no harm in telling her mother about her encounter.

“No… no diamonds… as cool as that would be,” Diana began, “but I did… meet someone today.”

“Oh?” Maleficent’s said, surprised, “do tell.”

“Well… she was dancing in the woods, surrounded by animals, and she sang like something out of a dream,” Diana described, swaying as she talked. “She was… really beautiful.”

“Beautiful? Oh Diana,” Maleficent beamed, walking over to pinch her daughter’s cheek, “you’re so cute.”

“Mooother,” Diana batted her away, blushing like a tomato.

“What? I think it’s sweet. A wonderful young lady like you? People should be flocking over to you, groveling at your feet, showering you with praise” Maleficent said dynamically.

“Please stop,” Diana turned away, heading to the dining table.

“I’m just teasing, you know that,” Maleficent chuckled.

“Yeah, yeah,” Diana stuck her tongue out playfully, “I would love to introduce you to her some time… but we want to get to know each other a little bit more first.”

“That’s absolutely fair,” Maleficent replied, nodding her head, “I truly am happy for you. I wish you nothing but the best, my dear.”

“Thank you, Mother,” Diana replied, happy for the support. 

At the same time, Rose was at home helping to put the finishing touches on the marinated leeks. Once again, the team effort lent itself to a very well-prepared dish. Rose, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather looked at their creation with proud eyes.

“Welp, this thing isn’t gonna eat itself,” Merryweather commented, rubbing her arms together and licking her lips. 

“I’ll get us some berries,” Fauna said.

“And I’ll pull out the sweet buns,” Rose added.

“Guess that leaves me with setting the table,” Flora giggled.

As Rose prepared a plate of buns, she turned her head at the little dinner table they always ate together at. She imagined Diana sitting alongside her mothers, sharing stories and laughs. Rose so wished that she could tell them about her wonderful new friend, but she didn’t want to risk getting in trouble and losing what little freedom she had gained. There was something about Diana, Rose had thought, that made her feel very special. This was the first human being that Rose really got to know well, not just another face in the crowd from some holiday party in the local town. And she was such a delightful and pretty person, too.

Next week couldn’t come soon enough.

**_To be continued..._ **

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to the 1957 Golden Book adaptation of "Sleeping Beauty" by Jane Werner Watson for help with this adaptation. Additional thanks goes to "The Reformation" volume from Will Durant’s 'The Story of Civilization' for societal and cultural details of 14th Century France, among other world history books.
> 
> Comments, compliments, and critiques are always welcome.


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